In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens has the character of Madame Defarge obsessed with justice and revenge. In the beginning of the novel, she was shrouded in mystery, and it was unclear how deep her need for revenge went. During the Bastille scene, it became obvious that this was no ordinary grudge. She was seeking retribution for the wrongs she suffered at the hands of Darnay's uncle and father, who raped her sister and killed her brother and father. Madame Defarge believed that if she could kill Darnay, she would be satisfied, but that is not how vengeance works. She constantly needed more and more death. Even after she had Charles sentenced to die, she went after Lucie and their daughter, because she needed to cause even more misery. But she would never get enough. Dickens shows the unending cycle of vengeance through her character, and how no good can come from it.
Justice and Revenge
In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens has the character of Madame Defarge obsessed with justice and revenge. In the beginning of the novel, she was shrouded in mystery, and it was unclear how deep her need for revenge went. During the Bastille scene, it became obvious that this was no ordinary grudge. She was seeking retribution for the wrongs she suffered at the hands of Darnay's uncle and father, who raped her sister and killed her brother and father. Madame Defarge believed that if she could kill Darnay, she would be satisfied, but that is not how vengeance works. She constantly needed more and more death. Even after she had Charles sentenced to die, she went after Lucie and their daughter, because she needed to cause even more misery. But she would never get enough. Dickens shows the unending cycle of vengeance through her character, and how no good can come from it.